


a core set on fire

by carefulren



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Family, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Found Family, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Over-heating, Sickfic, Tumblr Prompt, Whump, connor's having a bad few days, dad hank and son connor, luckily Hank's got his unofficial son's back, pre-deviant connor, the life of an android
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 04:23:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefulren/pseuds/carefulren
Summary: When Connor's hurt during a fight with a deviant, he suffers damage to his thermoregulator, leaving him far too hot and far too achy for comfort.(Original prompt: Maybe Connor takes a blow while trying to catch a deviant? He is able to convince Hank that he’s fine (since he sincerely doesn’t feel too bad) but after a few days he starts to realize something is wrong. Maybe his temperature regulation was damaged so he’s always either burning hot or freezing cold, and has minor damage to a internal components (not enough to be serious) that just leaves him feeling really achy and bad all around. Maybe some Concerned Dad Hank too?)





	a core set on fire

Turn left to go onto a barren road, then right to cut through a back alley. Run just a little faster here because the main road is coming into focus and the count down on a red light is getting closer to zero. Take longer strides across the street to make it to the other side before traffic starts back up, then turn right where–

As Connor expected, the deviant with the young boy is suddenly at his right, and his LED blinks to a rapid red as he lunges at the deviant, careful to brace impact to the side that’s not holding the young boy. 

They topple to the ground, and Connor’s about to swing a steady fist to the deviant’s face when the young boy cries out. Connor freezes, fist mid-air, and he whips a gaze to assess possible harm to the child. He means to be quick, but his concentration isn’t at full capacity, and next thing he knows, there’s an impossibly strong fist jabbing straight into his abdomen. 

He gasps when an electric jolt of pain bursts from multiple biocomponents, and he rolls off of the deviant before taking another hit, a swift kick to his side, the deviant’s boot breaking skin from the force alone. 

Connor’s systems are shifting into over-drive, his programming unable to pin-point a singular thought because his body is in pain, a rare feeling for androids, and he can’t find a possible reason as to how the deviant got up that fast to kick him. 

He’s heard of deviants mixing concoctions that could possibly boost their Thirium 310, but he’s never heard of a successful case. Every one he’s read about ended the same: self-destruction almost instantly, yet this deviant he’s facing seems far too powerful for the store clerk purpose he was created for. 

However, Connor cannot dwell because the deviant’s already running away with the child back in his arms. Connor clambers to his feet, his body shaking in a way that’s almost demanding he run a diagnostic test to assess the damage, and he makes a move to go after the deviant, but two things keep him planted in place: the child, who’s looking over the deviant’s shoulder, smiling at him and Hank racing up to him, positively breathless. 

“Connor! Jesus! You’ve got to stop doing that! Are you alright?” 

“You should consider inhaling and exhaling slowly. As you age, the heart grows weaker, and your rapid pulse is indicating current cardiac distress.” 

Connor looks coolly at Hank, and Hank has to clench his hand into a fist to keep from slapping his palm hard across Connor’s cheek. 

“Maybe if you’d listen when I tell you not to start some high-speed chase after an android that’s killed four people–” 

“Your orders contradicted my purpose. I’m designed to–” 

“–catch deviants, yeah, yeah.” Hank’s able to breathe a little deeper now, and his narrow eyes scan across Connor’s features, and while the kid physically looks fine, he’s shaking, just very slightly, just enough for Hank to pick up on it. 

“Are you alright?” He presses, and Connor considers the urgent tone with emphases on certain words, and he nods slowly. 

“He got in a few hits. His power exceeded my expectations, but I’m okay.” 

Hank holds his gaze for a long time, the two reading each other in their own manners, but Hank finally breaks the gaze with a sigh as he claps a hand to Connor’s shoulder and offers a tight squeeze. “Alright, well, I guess we should report to Fowler.” 

Connor’s LED fades to blue and stutters a few times as he blinks slowly at Hank. “We aren’t stopping at a bar first?” 

“It pains me to say this, but no, not this time.” 

Connor nods, and the two start walking back to Hank’s car, with Connor filling Hank in with his possible theories that that child willingly went with the deviant. 

*****

Androids don’t lie for lying is risky. The software can become unstable if an android lies because a lie means the truth could emotionally impact a human, and androids, specifically Connor’s model series, are not designed with empathy. 

Yet, for two days, Connor’s lied to Hank, not because he fears the truth will upset Hank but because he’s… unsure of what admitting the truth will entail. 

Ever since his fight with the deviant, he’s been feeling… off, for better lack of words. He thought he was fine, and for two days when Hank asked, he told the older man that he was fine despite the growing upset within his systems. 

But on the third day when he’s set to leave for work, Connor is, in fact, not fine. He’s burning from head to toe, his synthetic skin is hot to the touch, and he’s aching in varying spots, nothing major, just uncomfortable. 

He should be dressing for work, but instead, he’s sitting on the edge of his bed in his small apartment, a bed that’s more for the aesthetic of a home than for actually sleeping, and runs a diagnostic test. 

There’s severe damage to his thermoregulator, unable to be repaired by his self-repair system. It’s struggling to regulate a comfortable temperature across his systems, seemingly stuck on a high setting that’s got him burning to the core. He slips his shirt off and folds it neatly, resting it on the bed beside him as he sits with his chest exposed in the hopes to offer assistance to his thermoregulator. 

Aside from that, there are a few biocomponents positioned on the right side of his abdomen that have some dents and dings, all of which will smooth over and repair after a few days of self-repair running in the background of his programming. Those small surface injuries are causing the aches, and between that and the stifling heat, he’s far too uncomfortable for work. 

He goes to his shower instead and strips completely before he slips into the shower. He has a theory: outside temperatures can have physical impacts on his biocomponents, so he thinks that a steady stream of cold water may have a physical impact on his thermoregulator. 

He adjusts the shower to the coldest possible setting then swipes a palm to start. The cold water beats against his burning skin, and he tilts his head back so the water streams over his face. 

His focus falls to what needs to be done while he waits to see if his theory is plausible. He sends a message to Fowler, informing him of his absence, and then he puts in a request to CyberLife for the necessary repairs, receiving a confirmation only moments after that he’s written in for a 2 p.m. appointment. 

It’s 7 a.m. now, and Connor decides to keep under the cold shower until he needs to leave around 1 p.m. 

The icy water does nothing but heighten the ache in his bones, yet, he thinks, it may be helping a little with the almost suffocating heat, so he’ll stay because he can handle the faint aches. 

However, after thirty minutes, he’s beginning to feel rather weak, and he stops the shower and steps out. He still feels impossibly hot, and he dries himself and slips only into a pair of black shorts. He moves to the small window seat, and opens the window as far as it will go before taking a seat and allowing the snow and wind from outside to hit his boiling skin. 

He tilts his head back, and his eyes flutter shut as he falls into a rest mode, and he remains in rest mode until he’s suddenly being shaken awake an hour later. 

“Connor! Goddammit!” 

His eyes open slowly, but his pupils dilate when he’s being pulled off the window seat, toppling to the floor on top of Hank. 

“Are you out of your fucking mind? Your bio-whatever can freeze! What the hell are you doing?” 

Hank’s voice is four levels too loud, and Connor slowly moves off of him and back to the window, only stopping when a strong hand latches to his wrist. 

“Connor, what… Why the fuck are you so hot?” Hank’s first thought when he felt the heat of Connor’s skin was some weird burning cold, but now that he’s not having a minor panic attack over Connor’s barely clothed body getting covered in snow and ice, he can feel the alarming heat, and he drags Connor to his feet. 

He slaps a hand to Connor’s forehead, and it’s just as hot. “What the hell is this? A fever? I thought you couldn’t get sick.” 

“There’s severe damage to my thermoregulator,” Connor explains calmly, yet his tone is mirroring the heightened aches in his bones. “I have an appointment with CyberLife at 2 p.m. for the necessary repairs.” 

Hank nods, showing his understanding, but he’s still got a frown plastered to his lips. “Is it just the thermo-whatever, or is there more you aren’t telling me?” 

“I have minor damage to a few right-side biocomponents as well. I’m already pushing a self-repair into my programming to remedy that issue.”

“And how do you feel?” 

Connor considers the question for a long time, dropping back against the window seat as his systems scan programs for a possible answer. 

“I think the proper descriptive adjective would be ‘terrible.’“

Hank only walks away at this, returning moments later with a pair of Connor’s shoes. 

“Lt. Anderson, what are you–” 

“Put these on. We’re going to get you into your appointment early.” 

“You’re coming?” 

“Of course I’m fucking coming with you.” 

*****

Hank hasn’t stopped shivering, even after he and Connor walk into CyberLife. The thirty-minute drive was spent with all car windows down despite Connor’s urgent protests. Hank shut all down with the stern argument: my car, my rules. 

So, even though he’s pretty sure he’s two degrees from freezing his balls off, he’d rather suffer if it means bringing any semblance of relief to Connor’s burning skin. 

There are a few guards who stop them on their way past the main lobby, but Connor rattles off some numbers that Hank can’t pick up on from the chattering of his teeth, and the two are let back, where a group of well-dressed medics are waiting. 

“Connor Model Number RK800 assigned to the Detroit City Police Department?” 

“Yes.” 

“You’re early, but we have directions from Amanda to move your appointment up. You may come back now.” 

Connor starts after them, but when Hank makes a move to follow as well, he’s stopped by two guards. 

“You wait here.” 

“I sure as hell am not going to fucking ‘wait here’ while you all open that kid up.” 

“Lt. Anderson…” Connor frowns and considers seven options before speaking, this time to the guards. “Let him back. He’s my primary boss; it would benefit him to learn more about the inner workings of my model series.” 

The guards don’t look happy, but they let Hank through, and Hank curses at them before stepping up beside Connor and dropping one, strong hand to Connor’s shoulder. 

“Alright. Let’s just hurry and get your thermo-whatever repaired so we can get the hell out of here.” 

Connor’s LED is blinking a bright yellow with Amanda’s presence so close, only separated from him by a few floors in the building, and he moves just a little closer to Hank as the group enters an elevator and speaks quietly to where only Hank can hear. 

“Agreed, Lt. Anderson.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty sure I'm straddling the line to being obsessed with writing for D: BH, to be honest... 
> 
>  
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr (@toosicktoocare)!


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